Arrangements for the dead
by planet p
Summary: Story repost! AU; Miss Parker is asked to organise Lyle's things.


**Arrangements for the dead** by planet p

**Disclaimer** I don't own _the Pretender_ or any of its characters.

* * *

_The way I write a story is just how it comes to me. If I write something that I don't feel is fitting in with the rest of the story, or I'm not comfortable letting it fit in, I'll go back to where I began writing it and take it out, and start again from there._

_This is one of those instances, though, that's not to say I didn't like this piece as a whole. I thought it was sad and I liked it because of the sisters' interaction, and Miss Parker's lack of being able to or knowing what to do in a circumstance like this._

_It's a discarded limb from the story _Once more, for science_, and a repost, and AU, as that story itself is._

_Also, the girls are possibly a little older in this than in the aforementioned story._

* * *

Ms. Denis had asked Parker to arrange for Lyle's things to be moved out of his apartment. He had been her brother after all.

Parker had not refused the opportunity.

She stood outside now, squinting up at the cramped townhouse. It was all factories behind the row of jammy townhouses. She stooped on the top step and scooped up the various items of mail that were now soggy from rain and frosty mornings.

Sydney stamped up the steps behind her. She had asked Sydney to come along. He was the psychiatrist, after all, and she was not.

She slotted the key neatly into the lock and pushed the door, revealing a narrow hallway, the air inside colder than outside.

The first room she came into was the kitchen. She crossed the room efficiently and pulled the refrigerator door. She spied a box of Belgian chocolates, though it was supermarket bought. A bottle of Coca-Cola in the door. Parker frowned. _Had Lyle eaten at all outside of Asian women?_ She shut the fridge door and checked the freezer. Chicken nuggets, chips, more chips. In fact, most of the freezer was filled with chips. She emptied the entire contents of the freezer on to the kitchen table to be sure.

Sydney frowned. What was she looking for exactly? the frown said. He glanced at the chips, glanced at Parker. What was with all the chips?

Parker repacked everything into the freezer, her fingers stiff despite the gloves, and crossed to the cupboards above the sideboard. A box of fifty Christmas cards, she placed this on the kitchen table. Several cans of Coca-Cola, cherry soda, lime soda and passionfruit soda.

"Why are you looking, taking things out and putting them back?" a voice asked from the hallway.

Parker spun about, noting that Sydney had done the same.

The girl frowned, confused. She was dressed in school uniform, with dark hair and tanned.

"Hello," Sydney said.

The girl was probably six, Parker supposed. She stared at Sydney. "Did Lyle let you in?" she questioned. "Cos you know it's breaking and entering if he didn't, and that's against the law."

"It's freezing in here!" a second, younger voice grumbled, and a girl perhaps a year younger appeared in the door also. "Why have you stopped?" the younger girl asked, and then she saw Sydney and she saw Parker. "Hi," the girl said.

Her sister looked at her.

"What?"

The older girl made a face.

"Spit!" her sister half-shouted.

The older girl took her sister's hand and dragged her around, back toward the door.

The younger whined. "Savannah!"

Savannah ignored the whining.

The younger girl started to holler.

"Be quiet, Charity!" Savannah reprimanded.

Charity only hollered all the more.

Sydney hurried out into the hallway and after the girls, Parker in tow.

Charity swallowed her hollers and stared.

Savannah had stopped tugging on her arm now and stood with her arms crossed, glare affixed to her face. "We're supposed to walk straight home!" she hissed to her sister in a low voice. "We're not allowed to see Lyle, dumb!"

Charity narrowed her eyes on her sister.

"My name is Sydney," Sydney interrupted.

Charity glanced at her sister, all earlier animosity forgotten.

Savannah's glare did not budge.

Charity stared at Sydney and squinted. "You talk funny," she told him.

Sydney frowned.

Charity burst into hysterical laughter.

Savannah glanced at her in annoyance. "I don't care if he's Jimmy Hooper!" she declared. "We're going!" She turned swiftly toward the door and pulled her sister after her.

"Jimmy Hooper's dead!" Charity protested. When Savannah did not speak, she huffed and said, "He is!"

"Dah, dumb!" Savannah growled.

Charity began to hum loudly.

Parker watched as the two girls descended the steps, crossing the small parking space for the pavement.

"We didn't break in," Parker called after the girls, rushing to the door and taking the steps.

Savannah stopped. She didn't turn.

Charity peered over her shoulder at Parker.

Parker produced the key from an inside pocket of her coat and held it up for the girls to see. "I was given this."

"It's a key," Charity whispered loudly to her sister, who shot her a glare and turned sharply.

"What are you?" she shot incredulously. "His girlfriend!"

Charity chuckled heartily.

"His sister," Parker said.

Savannah glared, but Parker could tell that the girl was assessing her.

"Why'd he give you that key?" Charity piped up.

"He didn't give me this key. A woman Lyle and I work for gave me this key."

"Why would she do that?" Charity asked, squinting. "Why would Lyle give that woman that key, beside?"

"Lyle's gone away," Parker explained.

Charity blinked. "Why?"

"She means he's dead, dumb!" Savannah growled loudly. She turned and pelted.

Charity made a face. "DUMB!" she screamed after her fleeing sister. She frowned. "Is that the truth?" she asked Parker.

Parker closed her mouth and nodded.

Charity squinted. "Okay," she said lamely. She turned around and began to follow her sister, scraping her school shoes on the pavement.

A car that was approaching slowed and honked.

Charity lifted her head and stared at the dark grey Mercedes.

Parker watched the car pull over and Cox step out.

"Savannah's mad," Charity informed.

Cox frowned, leaning forward. "Charity?"

"I know what _dead_ means," Charity told him.

Cox placed a hand on her hair. "I trust that you do, Charity. Why are you mentioning this? Do you know anyone who has died?"

"Lyle died," she said.

Cox blinked. His eyes darted to Lyle's townhouse and Parker standing there on the pavement. He ran a hand over his hair in frustration.

"I'm not sad, I'm not," Charity explained.

Cox crossed his arms. What was wrong with being sad? that look asked.

"Savannah is right, but, it's not fair that nobody told," Charity considered. "She's right to be mad." She rubbed her face with a hand. "I wanna go home now."

Cox nodded. "That would be best."

* * *

Parker had no choice but to turn around and go back inside, though she knew as soon as she stepped inside that she was not really up for it anymore.

Sydney glanced at her as she passed him in the hall.


End file.
